Artificial Light
by Coleiosis
Summary: Mega Man has never felt so infected before. A strange virus is spreading within him, and he has only to compete in Twisted Metal to wish for a cure. Will he succeed?


Coleiosis Productions presents…  
Artificial Light

by Cole Bezotte

Introduction 

Let's face it, fans. It's about time I started writing about a totally different franchise. In fact, I haven't done that in over a year! I've done others such as StarFox, the Legend of Zelda, Wreck-It Ralph, and two Star Wars/Doctor Who crossovers. But THIS is different! This is about a game I've been going crazy for lately. But Twisted Metal is still a total favorite of mine!  
So here's what I thought: what if a game for youth met a game for men? Besides, I still haven't resolved things for the PlayStation All-Stars series, such as the mystery of Calypso. I'll have to write about that sometime, but it will be saved for a new project that will soon be in development. This story here will lead up to it, which I will admit should be a thousand times better than the crap I've done in the past (yet there are still past stories that I love).  
Now Mega Man can celebrate for being in his first fanfic written by me. I've already thrown his nemesis Dr. Albert W. Wily in a couple of Wreck-It Ralph fanfics, as he joins the Bad-Anon Club (he was scrapped from the movie). But will he be responsible for the chaos caused in this story? Nope. He won't appear until the time is right. The REAL threat is the Twisted Metal contest raging in Netopia, but who has the power to prevent it? If Dr. Thomas Light cannot think of a plan to stop Calypso in his scheme, who can? All this and more will be found out in this story. Enjoy!

Please note that this is somewhat of a blend of all the different Mega Man series.

Artificial Light 

Unlike all my others stories that start with something quiet, this one will start with a raging battle. And where there is a battle, the killer clown Needles is involved. But this time, his ice cream truck was more than ready to be used in mortal combat with the robot boy named Rock, alias Mega Man. The kind scientist Dr. Thomas Light had sent Mega Man on a mission to throw Needles off the streets of Netopia before any more damage could be done to the city. Not only was the villainous clown controlling the truck, but he had another man dressed as a dirty clown to serve as his gunner.  
"Boss!" the gunner spoke in exclamation. "I'm tired of waiting! I want to use the shotgun now!"  
"You fool!" Needles barked in reply. "Do you see any skin on that kid?!"  
But the gunner ignored those words and instead opened fire immediately. The bullet bounced right off of Mega Man's armor, merely pushing him back an inch.  
"I warned you for the billionth time!" Needles continued, wrenching the gun out of his assistant's hands. "You never listen!"  
Mega Man was determined to use his Mega Buster and make short work of the truck right then and there. "I have a feeling this will end very quickly," he thought. "But if this is too easy, then something must be up. I'll have to know everything about this in a second…"  
But the poor boy's move backfired once he released the energy beam. Needles activated the shield of his truck, which absorbed the beam right when it touched it. The mounted guns on the truck then shifted and aimed straight at Mega Man. And to the boy's surprise, it was about to fire a Mega Buster, just like his. He wanted to move aside and avoid getting hit by his own weapon, only to be followed by the red targeting laser that the truck beamed out. Once a loud sound was heard, everything went dark.

Mega man did not wake up until about an hour later. And when he did, he found himself on an empty, broken street. The truck was nowhere in sight, but he knew that Needles was just hiding to draw him out. "Strange…" Mega Man thought. "I wonder where he went. It feels eerie just to stand here alone on the wide street, especially at night. But it doesn't look pretty; the clouds are covering the sky. I better get home before the professor knows that I've been gone for too long."  
He turned towards the direction of his home and walked that way, little knowing that Needles and his gunner had parked the truck in a dark corner of a parking lot. And at the passenger seat, the gunner scowled in disgust. "I don't get it, boss!" he spoke. "Why didn't you just kill the dude while you had the chance? You could've blown him to hell and back!"  
"Quit questioning my motives!" Needles replied. "Why not have some fun with this? You probably didn't see what I inserted into him while he was out cold. For now, I want to hear him scream… and there will be more where that came from…"

Later that night, as rain began to pour down onto the city, Mega Man finally made it home to calm Dr. Light's worries. The scientist was there, fixing the fuse box with Rock's sister Roll, and bringing back the power to the house. Roll heard footsteps coming from the front entryway; she knew that her brother had returned from the battle, but not unscathed. Rock took his helmet off as he headed quietly to his room, as Dr. Light watched him walk slowly in that direction.  
"Something must be ailing him," he thought aloud. "I'd be more than willing to scan him for viruses, but my equipment cannot work without any power. Roll and I should finish this as quickly as possible."  
ProtoMan was nowhere in sight, nor was the dog Rush. The cybernetic bird Beat remained where he was, not interfering with what Rock was doing. The boy made it to his room, but collapsed upon his bed the minute he entered. "Why do I feel so strange?" he thought. "Something must definitely be going on…" Those were the last words he whispered before his armor disappeared, and he fell asleep. As he drifted away, two words were the only things he heard, little knowing that it came from inside his mainframe…  
"INITIALIZING INSTALLATION!"

It still rained hard that night. Doctor Light heard the sound of the rain beating against the windows as he progressed through reading a book. He did not mind it at all, as he did not like things to be too quiet. Rush lied quietly at Dr. Light's feet, perhaps asleep and overcome by tiredness and drowsiness.  
Things remained that way until a sudden noise woke Rock from his sleep. He heard that same voice from hours ago, but it said something different this time.  
"INSTALLATION COMPLETE!"  
Right then and there, Rock felt a sudden pain within him. It startled him, as he leaped right off his bed and clutched his head tightly. "What's going on?!" he thought. "Is this a virus?! It's really killing me!" But he had nothing more to say, as he cried out in pain, as loud as can be.  
Rock's scream echoed through the house. The alert ears of Dr. Light heard it, and knew exactly where it came from. "What happened?!" he exclaimed, running towards Rock's room. "Something's going on, and I want to know!"  
Dr. Light practically broke the door down, as he rushed in to see Rock with one hand clutching his chest, the other at the floor. "Professor…!" Rock whimpered, struggling to lift his head. "I need help…!"  
"Rock!" Dr. Light exclaimed in reply. "What happened? Come on! I'll take you to my lab and scan you for the problem."  
In less than a minute, Rock found himself lying on a workshop table, with Dr. Light's scanner positioned above him. Beams of infrared light engulfed him, as x-ray photos were taken and transferred to a computer monitor. A worried Dr. Light studied the negatives carefully and soon began to notice something very wrong within Rock's mainframe. "Then this proves that this is not for nothing at all," he said with a shake in his voice. "You weren't faking it! Look! A virus has recently been installed!"  
"But why does it hurt so much?" Rock replied. "Can't you jack in a NetNavi to delete it?"  
"I'm afraid not. Look how the virus is increasing! And from the data I'm reading, this is not the work of Dr. Wily or anyone else we know. The virus' icon is a trademark logo of something I can't identify. I've never seen anything like this before."  
"Wait a minute! I think I remember something… Maybe it was that clown freak who did this, while I was out cold…! That HAS to be the answer! Only HE would do something this nasty!"  
"Are you sure this is Needles' doing? The program's 'README' file specifically reads 'Copyright Calypso Industries'. I've never heard of this…"  
"Is it possible that he could be working for this Calypso guy?"  
"It could be… We may never know for sure until we dig further into this case. But we don't have much time now; the virus is spreading every minute. If we don't find a way to erase it, you'll be completely destroyed once it reaches full velocity! I cannot allow you to die! You are my son!"  
"This puts me in more pressure than I have ever experienced before," Rock whimpered, a tear forming in his eye. "This is one case I may not survive."  
"I shall do all I can to create a cure for you, Rock," Dr. Light replied. "I swear, my child, that I will stop at nothing to save you…"

For the hours that passed by, Rock did nothing but sit on his bed and take part in no action whatsoever. All he could think about was that horrible fact that he would die very soon. "I feel more pressured as the time goes by…" he thought with his eyes closed. "It's coming closer every second. I have only a few hours left to live; and the professor still doesn't have a cure for me. Is there ANYTHING I can do to cure myself faster? This is more serious than anything else I've faced. For the first time…death is nearby…"  
Next to him sat his sister Roll. Stressed and full of repeating sadness, she embraced Rock, repeating to herself that she did not want to lose him. She loved him dearly, as Rock did the same thing to her. But right then and there, a sudden burst of anger was displayed from Roll, as she began to shout: "Why would Calypso do such a stupid thing like this?!"  
"I don't know what his real purpose is…" Rock replied. "The only answer I can think of is that he's a robot destroyer. Wait a second… if that Needles guy is working for Calypso, and his truck is also a robot, then why…"  
"Could he be a Maverick?"  
"I don't know. Sigma is usually involved in the whole Maverick stuff. Do you think Calypso is forcing me to do something for him?"  
"Then I'd like to see that guy face-to-face and give him a piece of my mind! I'll force him to remove that virus from you so you can live!"  
"And I'm coming with you both," said a voice from at the door. It was Dr. Light, who listened in on the conversation of his children. "I realized that I cannot create something that would fight something that I know nothing of. I would need to find the source of it, and we'll head to that source tonight. Get your armor, Rock… We're going to Calypso Industries!"

There was no turning back now. The determined trio had entered the building and were heading to the top floor, where the man himself waited. That virus chip that Needles installed allowed Calypso to read all of Rock's motions and activity. The big man sat at his desk, flipping through the pages of a large book. No other sound was heard other than the devilish screams coming from a painting that hung on the east wall. They shouted that same name over and over again in pain and agony: Calypso.  
Another sound was heard, the sound of footsteps coming towards him. He looked up from his desk and saw Dr. Light approaching him, with Rock and Roll at each side of him. Calypso's hideous smile finally displayed itself. "Welcome, Mega Man," he spoke. "I've been expecting you. Welcome to my stronghold… Although, I was not expecting you to bring these other two along with you. What's the reason?"  
"I am his creator," Dr. Light replied. "I have every right to be with him."  
"Ah, Dr. Thomas Light, is it necessary to strike up an argument? I only wanted answers, but you had no need to retort about it. Perhaps you want the reason of why I would want to insert a virus into your 'son' here. It's quite simple: I had heard word from another being from a galaxy far, far away, who knows you. That Lombax wanted to send an invitation to Mega Man, in hopes of him joining the League of Heroes. And as the host of the devilish Twisted Metal contest, I cannot allow that to happen. I am a man of doom and death; it is my duty to reward people with what they truly deserve."  
"It is true that we deserve punishment. But there are many things we earn that we do NOT deserve, such as the freedom to live, and the love from our dear ones. You murder people for fun; you hurt the innocent and the weak. You don't care about anyone or anything except your precious contest. I'll take all that away from you and make you pay for what you've done to my son!"  
"So that's how it is… You won't accept me for who I am, then I'll have to put Mega Man to the test. Should he win my contest, then the virus will be removed, and he shall live another day. You have my word…"  
"It's okay, professor," Mega Man whispered. "I'll do it to find out if he's telling the truth or not. Even if he doesn't fulfill my wish, then we can FORCE him to."  
"I can read what you're thinking, young fool," Calypso interrupted. "I have given you no reason to doubt me. But if you really want something, there is always a price to pay for it. And that is to let my competition continue. That is, unless you wish to challenge ME to a battle."  
"I may if I want to. Calypso, I will enter in this year's Twisted Metal. But I will need no vehicle… I already have a wide variety of weapons to use against my opponents."  
"What a brave boy. If you want no vehicle, then be my guest. But don't say I didn't warn you if you ever get crunched on the street."  
Roll's worried eyes stared straight at her brother; he had been in many tough battles, but this was something completely different, something far more deadly. But Mega Man shot her a look that may or may not have assured her that he would be safe. "Trust me…" he whispered.

The game began on the freeway of Netopia. Mega Man's trusty Mega Buster was used to inflict heavy damage upon the engines of the opponent vehicles. And those that he fought included Reaper, Roadkill, Mr. Slam, Shadow, Junkyard Dog, Manslaughter, Death Warrant, and—of course—Sweet Tooth.  
The RPG that the driver of Reaper wanted to use fired a large missile straight at Mega Man, who quickly snatched it out of the air before it hit anything upon impact. He hurled it straight at the one who fired it—the fiend never had a chance.  
Roadkill's special weapon, the Boomerang Blast, was no match for Mega Man either. He managed to grab it as well, and tossed it back in the same manner as it had been launched, like a real boomerang would. The claws of Mr. Slam attempted to grab Mega Man once he was caught off-guard. They held him, but the Mega Buster was strong enough to destroy them, and the boy hero broke out to hurl three ricochet blade discs at Mr. Slam. The Soul Shadow of the haunted hearse Shadow was shot at Mega Man, and managed to detonate itself and explode right near him. He was damaged, but not near enough to make him tremble in defeat. Mega Man felt the virus begin to spread even more, yet his determination to find freedom encouraged him to fight on. He fired an energy beam from his Buster to kill the driver of the hearse that stood before him.  
Junkyard Dog was ready to move in and begin its attack. A taxi cab was hanging on the truck's tow cable, and was flung at its target. Mega Man quickly took action and jumped onto the cab as it was still in midair, then he leapt towards the tow truck with his Wide Sword ready. Then, with one wide swipe of his weapon, he severed Junkyard Dog in half. He took its tow cable and used it for another nifty use—Manslaughter was nearby, so he could put the next part of his plan into action. He hurled it at the back of the dump truck, and let the hook stick to the rear compartment. Mega Man pulled hard with all his might, attempting to tilt the bucket until all its cargo spilled out. Tons of fiery hot rocks rolled out onto the street, leaving Manslaughter with no useful special weapon. Mega Man then climbed into the hot bucket, with a flaming stone in hand, and threw it straight at the driver's head, knocking him dead. Then, with all his might, Mega Man knocked the bucket completely off the dump truck and used it as a sled to ride down a slanting road. Death Warrant was straight ahead, firing its chain-gun right at him. Mega Man was lucky to be using the bucket also as a protective shield, and at that same time a ride that soon crash right into the opponent. Death Warrant's speed was already at its top—it was not able to stop in time; the driver could not slam the brakes when Mega Man was already so close to him. Both objects collided hard, but the boy managed to escape the chaos. Death Warrant remained upside down on the ground, unable to return to battle.  
That left Sweet Tooth as the final enemy to deal with. Needles, the ruthless driver of the truck, launched the smiling head on top of the truck. The head laughed maniacally as it hurled straight at Mega Man. He tried to run into a different direction as a way to save time and think of a strategy; but wherever he went, it followed him. He had no other place to go, as the head was drawing ever so closer to him. But right then and there, Mega Man had a new idea: he started to run right towards the truck, which would make the head float in that same direction and finish Needles for good. Needles knew the idea he planned, so he slammed his foot upon the gas pedal to floor it and make his way out of there. But Mega Man had secretly damaged the truck's engine with his Buster, which left it driving very slowly. Sweet Tooth was totaled, and the boy hero was victorious. But where was Needles? He had vanished.

Mega Man entered Calypso's room again, with Dr. Light and Roll observing the scene that would soon unfold. The kindhearted Dr. Light would repair the damages done to Rock after they received their rightful prize. Time was running out, and the virus' level was just about to be completely full. Mega Man had no more time to lose, or he would have no more time to live.  
"So…" Calypso spoke. "The young one wins my contest after all. You must truly be desperate to come to me for help."  
"I won, Calypso," Mega Man replied sternly. "And I want my prize now! You promised to remove the virus from me if I win. Now it's time you pay off!"  
"Very well. Your wish is granted…"  
Right then and there, at that split second, Mega Man suddenly felt something lift from him. The virus was gone—he felt completely normal once again. "He actually did it!" he thought aloud. "I feel so free!"  
"But you may need to compete in next year's Twisted Metal for what you need next," Calypso continued. "You have still caused so much damage on the freeway, your next wish would be to be free of guilt."  
"That's okay…" Mega Man replied. "The authorities already understand." And with the snap of Dr. Light's fingers, seven SWAT unit soldiers ran right into the room with their guns ready to fire. But shooting Calypso was not their plan—merely to arrest him and place him under heavy sedation.  
"It's over, Calypso!" spoke one of them. "We've finally caught you!"  
"So it's come to THIS?!" Calypso exclaimed. "I granted your wish, and you repay me with THIS?!"  
"You're a very confusing man, Calypso," Dr. Light replied. "Very confusing…"

Meanwhile, on the other side of town, Needles stood at a phone booth, holding a miniature-sized object in his hands. It was what he needed to succeed in his next plot to destroy his enemies.  
"It's about time I come to realize that the entire UNIVERSE is my enemy," he thought. "And it's time I show them my latest work… this Personal Terminal (PET) is just the thing I need to wipe out the Net World. And the NetNavi… my trusty truck Sweet Tooth, in fighting robot style!"

 **Thank you guys for reading, and I really appreciate your attention. There may or may not be another giant-sized special to sequel this epic. It depends on if I'm feeling up to doing it. For now, I will be brooding about this year's Valentine's Day.**


End file.
